Pages

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

A New Year is quickly upon us…..where better to ponder those new resolutions and goals than in a place that merges comfort and style for some daytime repose than in a luxurious day bed.

With a nod to the past and an eye on contemporary design, the daybed calls forth our nesting instincts. More intimate than a settee, yet more formal than a bed, this venerable form invites us to relax, recline, and indulge in a little daydreaming.

A daybed can second as a couch, or as a spare bed, look and feel amazing doing any of these tasks. Vicente Wolfe via Elle Decor

A daybed is the ultimate indulgence, but it also remains a versatile piece for resolving design dilemmas. It's a confident name, daybed, a shameless admission of luxury and leisure. After all, what other piece of furniture suggests that its user engage in some activity at a particular moment in time? To sleep when the sun is out ... how cheeky. According to Tulsa designer Charles Faudree, the rules of placement are hardly rigid. "I love one in the middle of a room, where people can sit on both sides of it and face in all directions."

Because of the daybed's sculptural nature, it can handily stand alone, where a bench or banquette might have gone. "It can work in hallways, if the dimensions are not too deep, or on large stair landings," says Trimble.

Designer Shannon Bowers for long time friend Stacy Hyde’s home a custom designed slip covered settee.PhotoDallas News

Other manifestations of the form included the baldachin-draped "Turkish bed" which by day was placed horizontally against a wall, thereby converting into a couch. Similar arrangements were made for the alcove bed, which was highly decorated only on one side, and the well-padded fainting couch, a late-Victorian conceit. And Sigmund Freud's famous "consulting couch" was actually a daybed with a scroll and pad at one end, backed with loose cushions and pillows and draped in a richly patterned woven rug. Photo Right: Habitually Chic on stylish fashion designers. Prerequisite for chic fashion designers to own fabulous flats in Paris. Or maybe living in the city of lights is what inspires them to create swoon worthy outfits every season. Erin Fetherston, has an apartment in Paris Photo from Domino

Veranda Kathryn M. Ireland Home bouclé on daybed cushion. Antique fabrics on pillows. Inlaid side table from Dan Marty Design. Jean-Paul Beaujard In the elegant airy living room, whose ceiling reaches 25 feet, stands a Jansen daybed. The chandelier is 1950s French; the rug, from the same era, is American. In the Heart of Paris, a Duplex Embodies the Essence of France Text by Peter Haldeman/Photography by Marina Faust Published September 2006 Architectural Digest

Photo Left: via Cote De Texas Veranda and Kay O’ Toole : photos byTria Giovan.Photo Right: John Willey House Beautiful March 2009 Another view of the Nantucket living room, the daybed is the perfect spot for watching sunsets and boats in the harbor. Anyone there with me imagining it?

NEW OR OLD:Many fabulous styles of daybeds today can be found…….new or old. Contemporary pieces can be geometric and spare or made to resemble antiques. The only guideline for selecting the right one is your personal taste. Look at the shape, the lines, the carving, the legs. Sit on it, lie down on it, feel the fabric. "It has to appeal to you visually," says Branca. "See it as a bed and as sculpture, and enjoy the elements of both."

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Welcome…… Christmas and the festive season with modern and traditional holiday decor. Tis the season……..Decorating outdoors is always a treat to see, especially when accented against black doors. With a layered palette of forest greens, soft silvers, and hints of brown and muted red, this front entryway has a festive vibe that's also subtle enough to last all winter long. A vibrant B.C. cedar garland decorated with dried fungi and silver balls adds color and lushness to the striking glass-paneled front door all winter long, while two urns overflowing with evergreens creates a symmetrical look for the front steps. To make similar urns, fill an urn with dirt and layer a variety of boughs, starting with Cedar and Douglas fir, then adding eucalyptus, ilex berries and magnolia. Branches are inserted into the centre of the urns to add dramatic height to the arrangement. Canadian House & Home

Use your beachcombing finds to trim the tree or front door, or even decorate wrapped gifts. Tie shells into place with floral wire and, if necessary, supplement your fragile finds with items purchased at shell shops. Attach a large sea star to the top of the wreath instead of a bow for a statement-making front door. Coastal Living

Don't overlook the backyard as a scenic spot for adding holiday sparkle.Dusted with snow and decorated with evergreens, outdoor tables and chairs transform into artful still lives. Arrange furniture to encourage open-air mingling when the weather allows, then trim patio doors with garlands strung with white lights. Complete the scene by dressing up footed antique urns: Layer cedar, pine and seeded eucalyptus boughs with small tree lights and top with ornaments for simple shimmer. Photography: Donna Griffith Source: Canadian House & Home

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Introducing a little black magic on doors creates a look that is sophisticated, dramatic and seductive…..Elizabeth Kimberly Design

FRONT ENTRANCE: Something about approaching a classic black entry door that exudes a timeless elegance. Black front doors offer an array of options, whether contrasted against brick, stone, or surrounded by neutrals, perhaps accented in pewter or brass, and even lovingly adorned for the holidays imbues a welcoming sense to a home. Image Left:Glossy black front door of a three-story Georgian-style house in San Francisco Designer Ken Folk House BeautifulImage Right: Martha Stewart Living

Though it is just a hint of the door, visualizing this fabulous entry is not hard to do. Windsor Smith’s East Coast stunning traditional entry is traditional elegance without the fuss. House Beautiful

Image Left: A high-gloss black front door is the perfect contrast for the colorful and rustic elements of this entryway. A stained-glass transom window, star-shaped pendant light, colorful floor rug and pair of antlers adds a whimsical vibe to this small but charming room. House & HomeImage Right: Apartment Therapy

"Black is the queen of all colors." It's dramatic and intense. Black stretches the perimeter.~Windsor Smith

I personally can’t think of a room that they don’t look fabulous. Stunning in the: LIBRARY: Darryl Carter Elle Decor

BEDROOM: Photo Left: French doors, a round gilt mirror and an elegant black and white color scheme make this bedroom the epitome of boutique-hotel chic House & HomePhotography: James Tse Photo Right: Attached versus opening, these antique Bordello doors make for a striking headboard Darryl Carter via Elle Decor

Left Photo: Windsor Smith House Beautiful “When you walk into that room in the daytime, your eye goes straight outside”Windsor Smith. Black definitely does that, it frames the view, makes the outdoors pop. Image Right:McGill Design Group, Canadian House & Home

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Before we get into mirror, mirror on the wall…… :) I am just back from a fantastic fun filled but exhausting in a very satisfying kind of way trip to the Fall Furniture Market, High Point, North Carolina. Attended with my BFF, the ever so talented, lively, loveable, Gloria De Lourdes Blalock of Blalock Interiors. In my opinion there is never a better way to experience market than with this amazing woman. Besides perusing a lot of new fantastic merchandise, I also had the pleasure of seeing some old & some new friends. Having the opportunity of meeting some awesome peeps from the blog world in person for the first time…..(way cool!). Including, the fabulous Maria Killam who writes the coveted blog, Colour Me Happy. The radiant Lauren Leiss from Pure Style Home. The striking beauty and brains behind the exciting new publication Rue, Co-Founder and Editor in Chief, Crystal Gentilello, who also has a fantastic blog, Plush Palate. As well as the admired and fabulous Jennifer Sergernt of DC By Designs. Also to my delight I again was able to see my idol, the much admired absolutely gifted talented and stylish, Mr. Barry Dixon(and yes, I look that dorky in every picture with him, I get so giddy when in the presence of that fantabulous man). The very funny (I was laughing pretty hard during our encounter) entertaining and lovely, Alexa Hampton. As well as the sharp and adorable all rolled into one, fashion designer of homes, Mr. Barclay Buttera. Last, but not least, the magnificent lively inspirational Mr. Eddie Ross.

And yes, if you are observant (notice my same outfit), this happened all in ONE day/evening! :)

NOW, onward, to……the subject at hand….

Sometimes, I mean, most of the time when we are looking for something in particular it doesn’t seem to be there. Then, when you are not looking, or had given up hope, or found that something already, then you tend to notice more of them, and poof, there they are. One of the things I seemed to be attracted to this market (trust me, there were many) were round shapes, that endless/infinity circle of love, or so it is in my mind, like round mirrors.

For example: The exceptional quality handmade mirrors crafted in the Good Ol’ USA (since 1970!) from Carver’s Guild. All their stunning mirrors (over 400 of them!) are made on site in West Groton, MA, with most styles are available in optional finishes.

Here are some magnificent examples of how round mirrors can add that something special to a space, either alone, grouped together, small or large……endless possibilities. Kelley Proxmire, Kelley Interior Design